Turret rotating, centering, and locking mechanism for turret-lathes.



w. L. MILLER. I TURRET ROTATING, OENTEBJNG, AND LOOKING MECHANISM FOR TURRBT LATHES.

AIPLIOATION FILED FEB-21. 1911.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w. L. MILLER. I TURRET ROTATING, OENTBRING, AND LOCKING MECHANISM FOR TURBBT LATHES.

' APBLIOATION FILED PEB.21, 1911. 1,047,270.

Patented Dec. 17,1912.

W. L. MILLER.

AND LOCKING MECHANISM FOR TURRET LATHES.

TURRET ROTATING, GENTERING, 1,047,270.

' APPLICATION FILED 33.21, 1911.

Patented D60. 17, 1912.

4 SHEEiS-SHEET 3.

w. L. MILLER. TURRET ROTATING CENTERING, AND LOOKING MECHANISM FOR TURRET LATHES. Patented Dec. 17,1912.

* APPLICATION FILED FEB-21, 1911. 1,047,270.

4 SHEETSTSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM Ii. MILLER, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOBTO GISHOLT HACEiINE COMPANY, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

TURBET ROTATING, CENTERING, AND LOCKING MECHANISM FCYR TURRET-LATHES.

I Specification of Letters Patent.-

Application filed February 21, 1911. Serial No. 810,076.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM L.-MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain newand useful-Improvements in Turret Rotating, Centering, and Looking, Mechanism for Turret-Lathes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of automatic turret lathes, and has reference more particularlyto a new and improved mechanism for. effecting and controlling the turning movements of the turret-head.

The main object of the invention is to provide -an improved mechanism of this character which shall be simple in construction, reliable in use, capable of producing a continuous or uninterrupted turning movement through the space representcdby one or more faces of the turret that may be empty or unoccupied by tools, and in which each tool-carrying face of the turret, as it moves into working Josition, is accurately centered or positioned with reference to the work in the chuck-jaws.

- To this and other minor ends the invention consists in the novel mechanism herein after more particularly described and pointcd out in the appended claims The invention, and its mode of operation 'Will. be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which I have'shown one practical embodiment of.

the same, and in 'which.

Figure L is a top plan view of a portion of the machine bed and the turret-slide mounted thereon. Fig. 2'is a'tonplan, view similar to Fig.1, but showing-also the turret -head mounted-m1- the turret=slide. Fig. .3 is a central vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5. are' fragmentary top plan views ofthe turretslide, with parts' of its contained mechanism omitted .for-clearness, and showing different positions of the clutch-controlling mechanism. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail "vertical sectional views, in lanes at right-angles to each other, showing the detent mechanism which automatically locks and releases the clutchcOntrOlJing mechanism.

Referring to the drawingsdl designates a portion of the machine bed in which are formed longitudinal inverted V-ways 2, on which latter is mounted the turret-slide 3.

4 designates a continuously rotating'shaft mounted parallel with the ways of the bed and splined to the hub 5 of a worm 6; said worm and its hub being carried b a hanger 7 depending from the slide 3. T e worm 6 engages and drives a worm-wheel 8Q (Fi 3) on the lower end of a short vertical sha t 9 journaled in the slide.3, the upper end of said shaft carrying a pinion 10 (Fig. 5 )j that meshes with and drives anannulaw gear 11 that is keyed on the lower end ofa sleeve 12 in turn journaled upon an up standing stud 13 in the-upper face of the turret-slide. The inner peripheryof the gear 11 is formed with.ratchet teeth 14 (Figs. land- 5); and rotatably mounted- Patented Dec. 17,1912.

upon the sleeve 12 is an outer sleeve 15 which has pivotally mounted in a lateral slot thereof-a dog 16 provided with teeth 17 adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 14, and a projecting nose 18 b whichthe dogis disengaged and held d isenga from" the ratchet by means hereinafter escribed.

' The dog is 'normally urged into engagement with the annular-ratchet by -a springpressed pin 19 slidably mounted in the sleeve 15; and bearing against the inner face of the dog 16 (Figs. 4 and 5). The sleeve 15 is provided with four laterally prof'ecti cam-shaped lugs-20, 21, 22, and 23,. ocat in different horizontal planes and designed to actuate in both directions certain oscillating levers which, in turn, actuate a centering-bar which centers the turret-head and a pair of internal gibs which lock-the turrethead to the slide when the turret-head is stationary;

24 designates a roller mounted on the up- I per end of a stud 25 set eccentrically in the upper end' of a sleeve 15. 'This roller, as the sleeve 15 rotates, enters successively between radial grooves formedon -'the underside of the horizontal plate 26 of-the turret-head 27 these radial grooves being conveniently formed between sector-shaped blocks 28 that-10'0- are secured to theunderside of the plate 26 as by screws 29; the positions of these blocks i and the radial grooves'or spaces formed therebetween'. being best illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The turret-head 27 isitself journaled centrally upon an upstanding stud or shaft'30'mou'nted centrally in the grooves 34 in the outer sides of a pair of gihs 35, that are connected at one end by an adjusting rod 36-.

The clutch formed by the internal ratchet 14, the do 16, and the spring-pin 13, and

thrdugh w 'ch a turning movement um parted to the turret-head at the proper times, is controlled by mechanism which will next be described.

Pivotally mounted on the central bearing boss of the slide 3 in which the stud 30 is mounted is a lever 37, one arm 38 of which s the dog 16 out. of engagement with the nose 18 of said dog, as shown in Fig.

,1. The other arm 39 ofsaid lever carries a slidable spring-actuated pin 40 that abuts against a stop 41 on the slide 3, and thus tends to urge the lever in a direction to retract the arm 38 from the dog 16 and allow the latter to engage the ratchet-ring of the clutch. The arm 39 of the lever is, in turn, controlled by a cam-block 42 fast one vertical shaft'43 journaled in the slide 3 and having a forked arm or extension 44 thatstraddles a roller 45 on a stud 46 in turn mounted on a collar 47 that is keyed to a rod 48 slidably mounted in and transversely of the slide 3. Surrounding the rod 48 is a coilspring 49, one end of which abuts against the collar 47, while its opposite end abuts against a fixed stop 50, herein. shown as the end wall of a slot in the slide 3 within which the spring 49 lies. One end of the rod 48 is formed on its lower side with a flattened ortion 51 (Fig. 7) and outwardly of the atter with two notches 52 and 53, respectively. Coiiperating with these notches is a 54 is, in turn, controlled as to its downwardvertically slldable catch '54 mounted in the edge portion of the slide 3 and normally urged upwardly by a spring 55. The catch movement by a pin 56 slidably. mounted alongside the catch 54, normally urged upwardly by a spring 57 and carrying a lat eral projection 58 that plays with a rectangular notch 59 formed in the side of the catch 54; the pin 56, when depressed, carry-..

ing down with it the catch-pin 54' through the engagement of the lateral projection 58 with the lower end .of the notch 59.. The upper end of the pin 56 is rounded, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7; and each face of the turret- 'head carries-a screWj60 having a rounded lower end, as shown in Fig, 3, whereby, when any one of said screws is adjusted roects toward the clutch and normally- 01 downwardly to such an extent that its lower end will engage and depress theipin 56, the coiiperating catch-pin 54 is forced downwardly sutiiciently to carry its upper 'end out of engagement, with the notch of the rod 48 with which it may be. engaged.

' Slidably mounted in the slide 3 (Fig. 1)

radially thereof is a bar 61 having a notched outer end 62. The main function of this bar is to accurately center or position the 27. The inner end of this bar 61. is suitably.

connected with one arm 64 of a three-arm lever 65 pivoted on an upstanding stud 66 in the slide 3. Another arm 67 of this lever carries a roller 68 which is engaged at the proper time in the rotation of the sleeve -15 by the cam 21 whereby to force the bar 61 outwardly into centering and locking engagement with a pin 63. The third arm 69 of said lever is subsequently engaged by the cam 20, during the rotation of the sleeve 15, to retract the bar 61 preliminary to the turning movement of the turret-head. On 7 the opposite side of the sleeve 15 is another three-arm lever 70 pivotally mounted on a stud 71 set. in the slide 3 one arm 72 of said lever having a link connection 73 with a pair of toggle'arms 74 that are pivoted to the free ends of the locking gibs 35. 'Beneath the link 73 and pivot-ally connected to the outer end of the latter and to the inner ends of the toggle arms 74 is a block 83 that is slidably mounted between a pair of guides 84, whereby the gibs 35 are held against. rotation with theturret-head. Another arm 75 of said le'v'er carries a roller 76 that is engaged at the proper time by the cam 22 to straightenthe toggle 74 and force the gibs 35 into locking engagement with the turret-head and slide. The third arm 77 of said lever is engaged at the proper time by the cam '23 to retract or release the gibs through the arm 72, link 73,;and toggle 74'.

It will be apparent from the-foregoing description that the mechanism through which the clutch-dog 1.6 is thrown out of driven engagement with the clutch-ratchet 14 is'actuated by the spring .49 when-the eatch-pin 54-is retracted to releasethe rod 48. The mechanism whereby the clutch-dog 16 is released from the.restraining engagement of the lever arm 38 and permitted to be thrown into driven engagemenhwith the clutch-ratchet .14- by the spring-pin 19 as the turietslide approaches the limit of its which are shown at ,81 and 82 outward or backward travel on the ways 2' of the bed will now be described,

' Keyed to the lower endof the shaft 43'is a horizontal arm 78 (Fig. 3) carrying on the lower side ofits free-end a roller 79. Adjustably secured to the bed 1 at a suitable point thereon is a plate 80having on its upper surface a pair of cam-blocks 81 and 82, preferably castintegral with plate 80, the working or operative cam-faces of The camfaces 81? and 82 of these blocks are engaged by the roller 79 during the backward and rod 48 is engaged by the catch-pin 54, and

the spring 49 is under slight compression, and wherein also the cam 42 is engaged with the arm 39 of lever 37, and the other arm38 of said lever is engaged with the nose 18 of the dog 16 holding the latter disengaged from the constantly rotating clutch-ratchet 14. Before .the turretslide reaches the limit of its backward movement (the backward and forward movements being effected by the usual lead-screw, not shown) the roller 79 engages the inclined face 81 of the cam 81, thereby moving the clutchcontrolling-parts to the relative positions shown in "Fig. 5, wherein the rod 48. has been retracted until its outer notch 53 is engaged with the catch-pin.54, as shown in- Fig'. 7, the spring 49 has been fullycompressed,and the cam 42 has been'swung out I engagement with the lever arms 69, and 77,

' pleted the cams 21 and 22, respectively, en-

of engagement [with the lever-arm. 39,'there-= "by releasing the dog-16, and allowingit to clutch with the constantly rotating ratchet 14, whereby the cam-sleeve 15 is. turned through asingle revolution. and the engagement.of the roller 24 with the grooves between the sector blocks 28 turns-the turrethead to bring a new face thereof into working position. During such rotation of the cam-sleeve 15, 'the cams 2O and-23, through respectively, first retract the centering ,bar 61 and the locking ibs 35, so that the turret-head may turn reely 'onthe slide; and when the turning movement has been comgage the rollers 68 and 7 6 and force the cengo their centering'and locking positions, respectering bar Gland gibs 3 5 outwardly int'o tively. During the turning movement of the turret-head, one of the pins strikes the upper end of pin 56, through the latter depressing tch-pin .54, releasing the red as 48,- and allowing, the spring 49 to throw the clutch-controlling parts to the relative positions shown in Fig. 4, wherein the upper end of the catch-pin 54 engages the flattened lower surface 51 of the rod 48, and the lever arm 38 is thrown inwardly into a position to engage the nose 18 of the dog as soon as the latter reaches the lever 38, thereby separat-i ing the clutch-members and arresting further rotation of the turret-head. Mean-- while, the backward traverse of the turretslide having been arrested and its forward traverse thrown in, as the slide movesv forward the roller 79 engages the inclined sur- 'face 82 of the .cam 82, moving the rod 48 inwardly until the notch 52 engages the upper end of catch-pin 54, whereby the roller 79 is'swung into proper position to engage the cam-block 81' on the next back traverse movement of the turretslide. As abovestated, if there are one or more empty faces in the turret-head, the pins 60 pertaining to such faces are 'screwed upwardly sufiiciently so that they will. not engage the pin 56, and the turret is thus rotated continuously past such empty face or faces.

It will be observed that the describedm-echanism is such as to cause the turret to rotate counter clock-wise (in the machine shown) that is, so that the forward half of the turret is always turning toward the 'front of the machine where the operator stands when chucking the work. This is a great advantage when the turret is fitted with long boring bars or tools extending out from the faces of the turret-head, since they push the operator away from the center of the lathe instead of pulling him into the I machine. v

I am aware that automatic mechanism for rotating a turret-head through a predetermined distance, for automatically locking the same at the com'pletionof the rotary movement, and forautomatically releasing such locking means prior to the next rotary movement is broadly old; but, so far as l am aware, the mechanism herein described for controlling the clutch through which the turret-head is rotated is new.

n will be evident to those skilled in the art that the particular mechanism herein,

presented as one practical embodimeht of the invention, maybe considerably varied in detail without departing from the operative-- principles involved, or sacrificing any of the benefits and advantages secured thereby: Hence, the invention is not limited to the exact. construction shown and described except to the extent clearly indicated in spe cific claims.

1. The combination with a turret-slide and a head rotatably mounted thereon, of mechanism for turning said head inpluding a clutch having a continuously rotating member and a normally idle member in driving relation to said head, spring means urging said clutch members into engagement with each other, means normally holding said clutch members separated, codp'erating parts carried by the turret slide and machine bed, respectively, for throwing out of action said clutch-separating means during the backward traverse of the turret-slide, and

- means controlled-by the turret in its turning movement for throwing into action s'aid clutch-separating means, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a turret-slide and a head rotatably mounted thereon, of mechanism for turning said head including a clutch havinga continuously rotating member and a normally idle member in driving relation'to said head, spring means urging said clutch members into engagement with clutch-separating means, a detent for said last named means, and a detent releasing mechanism carried by the turret and operating during'the turning movement of the latter, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a turret slide and a head rotatably mounted thereon, ct mechanism for turnin said head including a clutch mounted on t e slide and having a continuously rotating member and a normally idle member in driving relation to said head, spring means urging said idle clutch member into engagement with said continuously rotatin member, a lever normally holding said idle clutch member out of on gagement with said continuously rotating member, a spring acting upon said lever in a direction to retract it from said idle clutch member, a spring-actuated device normally acting to force said lever into holding engagement with said idle clutch member,

and coiiperating parts carried by the turretslide and machine bed, respectively, for retracting said spring-actuated device fromsaid clutch-engaging lever duringthe backward traverse of the turret-slide, substan-.

tially as described.

44-. The combination with a turret-slide and a head rotatably mounted thereon, of mechanism for turning said head including a clutch mounted on the slide and having a continuously rotating member and a normally idle member in driving relation to said head, spring means urging said idle 3 clutch-member into; engagement with said continuously rotatin member, a lever normally holding StLICl idle clutch-member out of engagement with said continuously rotating member, a spring acting upon said lever in a direction to retract it from said idle clutch member, spring-actuated mechanism normally acting to force said lever into holding engagement with said idle clutch-member, cotiperating parts carried by the turret-slide and machine bed, respectively, for retracting said spring-actuated mechanism from said clutch-engaging lever during the backward traverse of the turret slide, detent mechanism for holding said spring-actuated mechanism in retracted position, and detent-releasing means carried by the turret head and spring during the turning movement of the latter, substantially as' described.

5. The combination with a turret slide and a head rotatably mounted thereon, of mechanism for turning said head including a clutch-mounted on the slide and having a continuously rotating member and a normally idle member in driving relation tosaid head, spring means urging said idle clutchmember into engagement with said continuously rotatin member, a lever normally holding said idle clutch-member out of engagement with said continuously rotating member, a spring acting upon said lever in a direction to retract it from said idle clutch member, a pivoted cam member engaging said lever in opposition to said spring, a cam-actuating spring normally urging said cam member into operative engagement with said clutch-engagin g lever, an operating arm fast on the pivot shaft of said cam member, a fixed cam on ,the machine bed engaging said arm during the backward traverse of theturret slide, thereby moving said cam member out of engagement with said clutchengaging lever and simultaneously tensioning said cam-actuating spring, detent mechanism 'for holding said cam-actuating spring under tension, and detent releasing means carried by the turret head and operating during the turning movement of the latter, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a turret-slide, and a head rotatably mounted thereon, of mechanism for turning said head including a clutch mounted .on the slide and having a continuously rotating member and a normally idle member in driving relation to said head, spring means urging said idle clutch member into engagement with said continuously rotatin member, a lever normally holding said idle clutch-member out of engagement with said continuously rotat ing member, a spring acting upon said lever.

ed on the machine bed and engaging said turret-head and operating duriiig the turnarm4u1ringihe bz ekward traverse of the ing movement of the latter, substantially turret-slide whereby tbTetract saidsp1:inggsies'cribedl actuated rod and simultaneously move said L. MJLLER. 5 cam-member out of engagementiwithnsaid V Witnesses: V, I V clutch-engaging lever, a detent for said rod, RAYMOND-S. ALL,

and detent-releasing means carried by the D. H. WRIGHT, Jr. 

